EURL methods

The responsibilities and tasks of European Union Reference Laboratories (EURLs) and of National Reference Laboratories (NRLs) are listed in the Regulation (EU) 2017/625. Additional responsibilities and tasks for the EURL for Bee Health are listed in the Commission Regulation (EU) No 415/2013. The methods used within the European NRLs should follow the rules listed in the Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/689. In this last regulation, a cascade of methods for sampling, analyses, tests and diagnosis is described in Article 6. Hence, official laboratories and NRLs have to use details and guidance made available on the EURL websites and complying with the Regulation (UE) 2016/429. In the absence of the above, internationally recognised rules or protocols (i.e. WOAH’s Terrestrial Manual) shall be followed. In the absence of the above, nationally recognised rules shall be followed or, if no such rules exist, relevant methods developed or recommended by NRLs shall be used. In the absence of the above, and when analyses, tests or diagnoses are urgently needed, methods other than those above-mentioned can be used until the validation of an appropriate method in accordance with internationally accepted scientific protocols.

Please find below the diagnostic methods related to bee diseases pursuant to Article 6 of the Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/689.

 

For the EU listed diseases (pursuant to Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2018/1882)

• Tropilaelaps spp.

Morphological identification of Tropilaelaps spp. (adult form) (WOAH method)

Identification of Tropilaelaps spp. using a conventionnal PCR (in-house method) and sequencing

 

• Aethina tumida

Morphological identification of the Small Hive Beetle (WOAH method)

Identification of the Small Hive Beetle by real time PCR (in-house method)

 

• Paenibacillus larvae (causative agent of American foulbrood)

Identification of Paenibacillus larvae using PCR (in-house method)

Detection of AFB and EFB agents using real-time PCR (in-house method))

 

For the other diseases

Bacteriology

• Melissococcus plutonius (causative agent of European foulbrood)

Identification of Melissococcus plutonius using PCR (in-house method)

 

Virology

• Multi-viruses

Detection and quantification of the Acute Bee Paralysis Virus (ABPV), the Black Queen Cell Virus (BQCV), the Chronic Bee Paralysis Virus (CBPV), the Deformed Wing Virus (DWV-A & DWV-B), and the Sacbrood Virus (SBV) by real-time RT-PCR

 

Miscellenaous

Test for the presence of the β-actin gene on honeybee samples using PCR (in-house method)

 

EURL forms

Mite & insect collection form

EURL customer sampling form

EURL reference material request

 

The EURL for Bee Health held its 10^th annual workshop on 21^st and 22^nd October 2020 by video conference. This first remote EURL workshop was a success with up to 54 participants connected at the same time.

This year, the discussions focused on exotic diseases with presentations on the small hive beetle (SHB) and Tropilaelaps spp. mites, whose a ring test for morphological identification that the EURL organised was presented. Dr. Franco Mutinelli, Head of the Italian NRL, presented a state of play of the occurrence and surveillance of SHB in Southern Italy. Dr. Orlando Yanez presented a subject on international beeswax trade and small hive beetle invasions.

The participants had also the pleasure to listen to presentations from two NRL representatives. Dr. Marc Schäfer, head of the German NRL and Dr. Gunita Deksne, representative of the Latvian NRL, gave a talk on their activities and the honey bee health status in their respective countries.

We thank all the speakers for their interesting presentations and all the contributors for the fruitful discussions.

Practical information and documents for the NRL network can be found here.